Posts Tagged ‘ford taurus safety’

Tesla aces most tests but fell short in the small overlap crash - and the Model S had "poor" headlights.

The Tesla Model S was one of three large sedans to fall short in the latest round of crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The trade group also reports that three other large models fared extremely well during a series of tests for crash worthiness, earning the coveted IIHS Top Safety Pick+ ratings.

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The poor performance by the Tesla Model S came amidst a series of problems for the electric vehicle maker, and at a time when CEO Elon Musk had hoped to focus on the upcoming launch of the maker’s first mainstream model, the Model 3. Production and sales are set to begin on Friday.

The investigation appears to center around the cruise control system on the 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus.

In the latest investigation related to unintended acceleration problems, federal regulators have launched a probe into reports of sticky accelerators that could involve as many as 2 million midsize Ford sedans, including the maker’s Taurus model.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initially announced it was opening a probe of the 2005 to 2006 Taurus. But it has since expanded the scope of the probe to cover the Taurus line back to 2001 while also including the near-twin Mercury Sable model.

Though there have been no reports of accidents or injuries, the investigation was triggered by 14 complaints filed by Taurus owners, including one who ran a red light unable to bring the car to a halt. As many as 30 complaints have been cited to justify the expansion of the investigation. The probe by the is in a preliminary stage and it has not yet been determined whether a recall will be required.

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“Wow. The scariest thing I have ever experienced,” one driver wrote to the NHTSA, claiming their vehicle blasted through an intersection at 70 mph before being brought under control. “If there was heavy traffic someone would have been killed, no doubt in my mind.”

Other owners report their vehicles accelerated without the application of the throttle.